Life in the Blue Ridge Mountains

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About Ed Robinson

Just off the Blue Ridge Parkway lies Linville Falls. The hike to the falls is a moderate one, according to the park service. It turned out to be a bit difficult for us flatlanders. Jeez, we’re out of shape and have no mountain legs whatsoever.

The Upper Falls is the first viewing point along the trail.

From there it’s up, up, and up to see the falls from the highest vantage point.

We got quite the workout climbing to the top and checking out the different overlooks along the way. Coming back down was much easier. I wanted to go down to the base of the falls, but didn’t want to climb back out, so we skipped it.

The drive from our cabin was forty minutes and quite scenic. The hiking part was no walk on the beach, but well worth it.

When we got to Florida, I gained an interest in Florida history, the Everglades, etc. Now that we’re in North Carolina, I have a sudden interest in waterfalls! Look for more waterfall posts in the future, but not too soon. I need time to recuperate.

The area we live in is becoming uninhabitable. The dangerous state of our ecosystem is beyond alarming. We don’t just live near the water, we live ON the water. Lately, it’s gotten hard to stand. We’re suffering respiratory issues. We cough through scratchy throats. Sometimes our eyes are irritated as well. The death and destruction all around us are sad to witness.

That’s Boca Grande, playground of the rich and famous.

This was from Lemon Bay, Englewood, Florida.

We have a combination of severe Red Tide and Blue-Green Algae. The Red Tide has been hanging around for months. Locals say it’s the worst they’ve ever seen. From Boca to Venice, the beaches are off-limits. The best thing about living here is going to the beach, or was anyway.

Further south, the problem is thick and green. Who wants to get anywhere near that?

The fish died first, but now we’re seeing dead manatees, dolphins, and sea turtles. These animals don’t have gills. They don’t directly breathe the water. They do breathe the air just above the surface though. It’s clearly toxic.

Everything in the water is dying. The local economies will follow if something doesn’t change.

I don’t have a solution for Red Tide. There is no easy answer. The algae is a different matter though. It’s a man-made problem that can be fixed. So far, the political will to address that problem hasn’t existed. All of this will continue throughout our rainy season. Come winter, the waters will clear and the problem will be forgotten while the snowbirds bring money into the local economy. Finding solutions will be put on the backburner once again, and it will happen all over again next year.

We love this place. Bad water is not the sole reason for us wanting to leave. For those that remain, I hope for a real solution in the near future.

Wow. Sometimes when change comes it comes really fast. As most of you know, Kim and I are moving to the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Our guy up there is the owner of Eagle Ridge Log Homes. His family has owned “McGuire Mountain” for generations. We went up there to meet with him and look at what he had to offer. We made a deal in principle on a cabin. We put down a deposit, but did not finalize the paperwork. That was scheduled for August 1.

We announced our plans and began preparing for a new life, and lifestyle. We saw another cabin up there on the same mountain, but were told it was promised to someone else. That deal apparently fell through. So Mr. Log Cabin builder calls us to offer the second cabin for our consideration. He said he’d happily transfer our deposit. He said he had someone who really wanted the first place, so he wouldn’t be put out at all. I had some pictures of the second cabin, and then got a lot more. We’ve never stepped foot inside. Kim and I talked it over at length, and decided we liked the second place even better.

Sooooo, scratch the first cabin. We’re pleased to introduce you to the NEW, new cabin.

We like it better for several reasons. One is its proximity to the creek. Wow, love this.

Another reason is having a fireplace instead of a woodstove. It doesn’t provide as much heat, but it’s more romantic and allows more space in the living area.

The kitchen is much nicer as well.

Overall it has slightly less square footage. The difference is in the loft and the second bedroom.

But it has a garage underneath that the other didn’t have.

The lord works in mysterious ways. We’ve made a good relationship with this builder. We’re bending the rules here changing course in mid-stream, but he seemed eager to please.

The view is also much nicer.

Just upstream is a little waterfall.

Amazing. It has two bedrooms and two baths plus the loft. It has the same whirlpool tub as the other one. It has much more property, more privacy if that’s possible, and the creek right there in the yard. Our move-in date remains August 1, just to a different address. I thought Kim was excited before, now she’s off the hook.

This is still really happening, just slightly different than our original plan. It’s a good thing, trust me. I think the word “serendipity” applies here.

As soon as we announced that Leap of Faith was for sale, the questions started. What are you guys doing next? Are you getting a bigger boat? Are you buying an RV? Are you okay? Just why is Miss Leap for sale?

I’ll post more in-depth thoughts on the whole subject later in this post, but here’s the deal:

We are moving into this log cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. We take possession August 1. It’s east of Banner Elk, near the ski lodges at Beech Mountain and Sugar Mountain. There’s an honest-to-goodness babbling brook running through the property. It’s very private.

We’ll be doing lots of “porch sitting.” You can hear the brook from the back porch.

The loft will become my new writing space, plus extra bunks for guests to visit. My daughter and grandkids are already making plans to stay with us for Christmas.

What brought this about? I’d say it was a combination of factors. It likely started with Hurricane Irma. We spent a ton of money and hundreds of hours putting the pieces back together afterward. It was worth the effort as Miss Leap is better than ever, however, we started questioning things. First, we considered a bigger boat. We are spending much more time in the marina these days, appreciating the electricity, unlimited water and swimming pool. Why not get a nicer, newer boat? We looked at several, but I had a hard time coming to grips with parting with Leap of Faith. We put the search on hold.

Skin Cancer: Somewhere during that time I got the first hunks of flesh removed. Six months later there was more cutting. A few more months and I had to do it again. This time Kim had to have some spots cut out. I felt more and more affected by the Florida sun and heat. What’s the point of living on a boat if you have to stay out of the sun all the time?

The Cruising Life: The past seven years have been the best of our lives for so many reasons. It was truly a Leap of Faith that worked out for us. We did it. We conquered it. Sometimes we felt like we owned it. We made a name for ourselves in the cruising community. We overcame our fears and ventured out on one adventure after another. We put many miles under our keel. It’s been a very rewarding growth experience for us, but we’ve lost our wanderlust. We have no desire to travel to foreign ports in the Caribbean or elsewhere. We got the most out of our experience, and now it’s time to move on to something else. We want to thank all the special people we’ve met over the years who’ve enriched our lives. We’ve met our share of bums, but overall the cruising world is full of quality folks.

My Writing: Between boat projects and an active social life, the distractions are many. I’m not the most disciplined worker to begin with. It’s easy to neglect my work with all of the activity going on around me. My plan is to seclude myself in the loft and write prolifically. I even hope to write a more serious novel that won’t include Breeze. I’d like to do a children’s book for my granddaughter, about a pirate dog! Who knows what I’ll come up with. I’m a writer when I’m actively writing. Otherwise, I’m just a guy who wrote some books. Look forward to lots of new stories from me in the future.

Seven Year Itch: Kim and I have talked this through quite thoroughly. We’re both ready for a change. We’ve proven that change is not something we are afraid of. It worked out great seven years ago, no reason it won’t work out great again. If we find that the cabin life doesn’t suit us, well . . . we’ll just do something else. Ain’t scared.

Once again, we both thank you all from the bottom of our heart for the support we’ve been given. You people help us keep our faith in humanity. Now excuse us as we go hide from you all in the mountains!

Some of you know this vessel. She’s not just a boat, she’s arguably the most famous boat in the cruising community. Leap of Faith is a true classic, Europa style trawler who gained her notoriety through the novels of her owner, Ed Robinson, and a large Facebook following. Her price reflects her place in nautical history. Contact us at Kimandedrobinson@gmail.com

This vessel is located in Placida, Florida.

Power: Single Ford Lehman 120 with 4100 hrs. This is a bullet-proof workhorse that will last forever.

Transmission completely rebuilt in August, 2017. New oil cooler on both the engine and the transmission.

All new battery bank in June 2017. 8 Trojan T105 (6 volts)

500 watts of solar with a Kidde MPPT Controller

Xantrex 1500 Inverter/Charger

Mid-size gas stove with four burners. Oven is big enough to cook a turkey.

Full-sized, Frost Free Refrigerator!

Portable Ice Maker

Custom built settee with built-in storage. (You could hide a body under there)

My workspace/computer table is removable. The space could support a recliner or additional cabinetry.

Pullman berth, lower port side.

New Vacuflush head July 2016 (new vacuum generator also).

Stand-up shower

Awesome lounge on the flybridge. The furniture conveys.

Garmin 4212 GPS Map/Chartplotter

Sitex Autopilot

Aft Deck sitting area with sun screen

Covered side walkways

Rear entry door and flybridge ladder

Freshly painted transom with new decal.

Cabin and bridge also recently painted.

Miss Leap, as we like to call her, is solidly built, stable and steady. Her seaworthiness has been proven many times. They just don’t build them like this anymore. She’s heavy, (and slow) and extremely reliable. Fuel burn is 1.8 gallons per hour at 6 knots. She holds 300 gallons of diesel giving her incredible range.

70 gallons fresh water (poly tanks) with an additional 65 gallons if desired on the bridge.

40-gallon poly holding tank with macerator.

An assortment of lines, anchors, fenders and accessories are included in the sale.

Brand new 10′ RIB with 3.5 Mercury four-stroke also included in the sale. (August 2017)

Honda 2000 portable generator also included.

Kim and I have loved this boat since the day we took possession. We’d love to sell her to someone who would love her as much as we do. We’ve made many memories aboard, from the west coast of Florida, through the Keys, and throughout the Bahamas. If you’re seriously interested contact me at –